Bradley also had a knack for cutting without the ball and his shooting stroke was only getting better, once AB gets back he will need at least 10 games himself just to get to speed. One thing is clear KG is a highly respected role player at this point.

No disrespect to the expressed opinions. Bradley is a fine player. However, this is like using a band aid to fix a condition that needs open heart surgery, a change of lifestyle, and years of rehab. This team is in disarray and full of more indecision than Hank Kimball on Green Acres. Do you think Mr Douglas would let Eb try out for power forward?

As I recall Eb was tall but lanky. Might be a little light to hold down the 4 spot.

I wonder if there's anything to the rumor that Arnold went on to a second career as an NFL football...

I do agree that Bradley isn't going to single-handedly turn things around, but we do need help everywhere and he may be the better pick to spell Rondo at point. Double shoulder surgery will no doubt limit him this season. Everyone is aware what a bad shoulder can do to ones ability to play D and he's got two. I hope he can be somewhere near what he was.

At this point...unless some GM loses his mind and offers up a quality big for little in return....the Celtics are what they will be for the foreseeable future.

Rather than ruin the entire winter with negative thoughts and bad vibes, I will choose to watch the games - root for my guys - and let the chips fall where they may.

I have seen some glimmers from Green / Lee / Sully and feel like with the addition of Bradley - they will be a lot better by February. Playoff contenders better or slip in as 7th or 8th seed....I am not sure yet. But they will be better.

This does not resolve the need for a quality center or the lack of a BU point guard. However, Terry was not suppose to be starting. He will now be able to come off the bench as a 1/2 option. Same thing with Lee. Perhaps he can settle into a back up roll at the 2 and be more efficient. Thus far Lee has not lived up to his billing. I thought we may have pulled the trigger on the Moore trade too soon. But that is a discussion we can have later.

There are so many variables that are impacting the team from the top to the bottom.

That means that both Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers must be critiqued to see how they may or may not have impacted the team this year.

Every single player on the team must come under scrutiny.

We should leave no stone unturned as we nail down what the hell is going on with our team.

The positive thing is that the best on the ball defender in the NBA is returning to the court. And I think it will be a transformative addition to a team that has misplaced their DNA.

I also think that all of us should not despair over the current state of affairs. There are still a ton of games to be played so there is more than enough time to right the ship.

The most important thing is to not overreact to the situation. I've seen posts that have us trading a lot of players for this or for that. Let's keep the course for a while and see how things shake out.

I guess I am still filled with a tremendous amount of optimism. I know that this team can play better and I suspect that they will.

The key word is progress because that is what we are seeing out there on the court the past few games.

I hope the ‘grass is greener in the other fellow’s yard’ trade mentality just goes away.

What we have here my friends is a team that is just finding their sea legs.

As I expected the return of Avery Bradley has been the spark that has rejuvenated an otherwise lethargic defensive effort all year. Avery Bradley is the tip of the spear of our defense. And let us not forget that this 22 year old kid can also score the basketball. Remember? He shot almost 50% from the field last year. The obvious Bradley effect is the unnerving on the ball pressure that he applies and how that pressure disrupts and disorients the other team.

And as we can see his defensive efforts has inspired and motivated his teammate to replicate his determination.

Anybody out there ready to trade the best on the ball defender in the NBA?

The other guy that has really impressed is Jared Sullinger. Funny, we do not seem so undersized when he is in the game. This kid battles for every single rebound. His basketball IQ is off the charts. His defense in noticeably better because he is now reading the plays before they happen, thus making proper defensive rotations and positioning. For a guy that really has little hops he is one hellava athelete.

Anybody out there ready to trade our most physical rebounder?

Paul Pierce has always frustrated me because I see him doing some dumb shit. But boy he is a true professional scorer and certainly one of the best that has ever put on a Celtics uniform. The step back dagger over Chandler last night was classic Paul Pierce. There is no one else on this team able or willing to take the big shot every time there is one to take. His go-to skills may not be what they once were but he is still one of the most dangerous clutch players in the NBA.

The management of KG’s minutes has been a key ingredient in his ability to remain competitive. Jared has taken a little off of the pounding that goes on in the paint but we still need a center. I am sure there are some disagreements over what level center do we need, a veteran journeyman who plays relatively short minutes or a center that can start for this team and perhaps fill a long term need. In my opinion we should get the best center available without having to give up any key pieces to our long term goal to remain a contender.

My no trade clause applies to PP and KG and our younger building blocks, Rondo, Bradley and yes Sullinger. These three are really good at what they do best.

Brandon Bass has been up and down year but lately it seems his defense is really getting better. I certainly do not dislike him but I just feel that Big Baby was a better all around player. Let’s see if he can prove me wrong.

Jeff Green has disappeared at times. He does not always look comfortable in the offense. It seems that he plays best when he is aggressive. He is one of those players where the game is not going to come to him. He has to make it happen. If this team could ever sustain an up tempo offensive attack, Jeff could really thrive. It is still too early to evaluate the trade that sent Perkins to OKC. If I had to evaluate it today based on what has happened I would prefer Perkins instead of Green because the center issue would never have been an issue.

Now that Bradley is back and Courtney Lee is coming off the bench I think that he will find a way to contribute on a consistent basis. If we only evaluated him based on his 4 years of NBA service we would be somewhat disappointed. It is however important to understand that there are few teams to play for like the Celtics. Lee plays pretty good defense and as he and the other new guys really learn the system to the point where their actions are routine and automatic, we should be able to see if keeping Moore on the cheap was a better long term investment than Lee.

I always liked Jason Terry but right now I think he is being over used. His defense is rather porous and that famed knock down jumper from anywhere at anytime has been missing for the most part. Terry has been and will continue to get good open looks. He just needs to do his job…hit the shots.

Jason Collins is the perfect no-stat veteran. He needs to play some minutes every game. I just want to see him bang people around. That’s it.

Barbosa could get Terry’s minutes but otherwise he is the 5th guard on a team with two young studs at guard.

Fab Melo is playing in the minors and I would like to see him get promoted up to the major leagues. The only way for him to really learn the game will be from exposure to NBA players. At 22 he too is a building block that has the physical abilities to block shots, rebound and score in the paint. We can afford to develop him but at some point we should bring him down from Maine.

Coach Rivers has yet to implement the up tempo offensive game plan that he promised. He has a tough task ahead of him and key decisions to make with respect to his rotation and how minutes are divided up. Now that the defense has finally showed up, it should afford him more flexibility. It’s all about the defense.

Quick Draw McGraw Danny Ainge should give pause to making a big splash in a shark invested pool. We need another big and a BU point guard to a lesser degree. We have two open roster spots available so the stage has been set to make another move. Let’s just hope that he does not give up too much to get too little. I think his decision will be influenced by how well the team plays over the next two weeks . I expect the team to now stay on solid ground and only need of minor adjustments.

The big that we need is already on the team in the D-League, he will be brought up at some point and when he does team will already be at a point of strength, in a winning enviorment. Jet can't handle most 2 guards defensively, they're too big and athletic, as a point I feel he can defend the position better. We have a great 2 guard rotation with AB and Lee, they were the keys in dismantling the Knicks offense. I'd rather see more of Lee in the guard rotation, as he can apply ball pressure and run/drive better. Let Jet be a shooting point that can space the floor, hopefully he'll find his stroke just as Bass and Jeff Green did last game.

Jeff Green has been inconsistant, in games hes played well/aggresive hes shown he has the goods, think Lakers couldn't use him backing up Metta and Gasol? I gotta think he Lee, Sully and Bass will only play better going forward. Now that we have regained our spear, our young defensive stud, we have regained our identity and created better chemistry. Its only 4 games, Rondo's game is gonna get alot easier now with AB doing the dirty work. AB reminds me of Perk and Cowens and Silas because even though hes a perimeter player, he loves doing the dirty grunt work, he'll hound you all over floor and bang you. Hes got D Wade type athleticism, but just gravitates to the defensive end, creating havoc everywhere.